TMZ.com

Big Bird is one of the first on Sesame Street to get protection against COVID-19 -- and while some might question why he's late to the party ... the timing makes sense for his audience.

The 8-foot costumed character made the big announcement on Twitter Saturday -- the first time he's tweeted from his account since March. So, yeah ... major development for the reclusive BB.

Big writes, "I got the COVID-19 vaccine today! My wing is feeling a little sore, but it'll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy." He adds, "Ms. @EricaRHill  even said I’ve been getting vaccines since I was a little bird. I had no idea!"

No photo proof or anything showing Mr. Bird getting his jab, but we'll take him at his word here ... and even give him props for spreading the word on vaccine awareness.

Now, if you're wondering why he mentioned CNN's Erica Hill specifically -- it's because she and other CNN personalities hosted a "town hall" Saturday morning called "The ABCs of Vaccines," which featured a number of 'Sesame Street' puppets talking 'rona and the shot.

Of course, that includes Big Bird too -- and the reason they're all being recruited to even talk about vaccines at all is because the Pfizer jab was just approved for kids between 5 and 11 the other day ... and the government is encouraging parents to inoculate their children.

So, no Big Bird hasn't been holding out or "doing his own research" with vaccine hesitancy -- it's just that his core demographic is now eligible, and he wants to encourage them (and their parents) to get it done. Also, he's apparently only 6 years old or something? 🤷🏽‍♂️

Bill Maher delivered a blistering attack on Millennials and Gen Z, essentially calling them hypocrites for pretending to be woke while celebrating excesses that are destroying planet earth.

The "Real Time" host said the youngins have a choice ... Greta Thunberg or Kylie Jenner, and Bill says the choice is clear because the 2 young women are polar opposites. He goes on to say it's no contest, just on numbers alone. Greta has 13 million Instagram followers, while Kylie has an astonishing 279 mil.

Bill's diatribe is blistering ... he says the choice is between a model citizen and a model, and the latter blows the former out of the water.

Maher concedes ... Kylie has built an empire on her own, but she's anything but a conservationist.  He goes into her closet, and then says while Greta refuses to fly (to do her part re: the carbon footprint), Kylie refuses to fly commercial.

His point is not to go after Kylie, but instead to call out her followers who act just like the boomers who have f***ed up the planet.

William Lucking, who starred as one of the staple characters in "Sons of Anarchy" has died at the age of 80.

Lucking, who played biker Piney Winston on the show died last month at home in Las Vegas. An obituary for the actor, written by his wife of 25 years, Sigrid, called Lucking a "giant of a man with the soul of a poet."

It's currently unclear how Lucking died, but "SoA" fans will remember his character, Piney, as the biker club's oldest member and most senior adviser. Piney carried an oxygen tank on the show, and had seemingly slowed down a bit as the series started.

Lucking's career started back in the late '60s, spanning both TV and film ... with roles alongside Faye Dunaway in "Oklahoma Crude" to the original Colonel in NBC's The A-Team in the 1980's.

Lucking leaves behind his wife, two daughters, grandkids and a sister.

His obituary requests fans "toast to his memory and celebrate his legacy."

The Bull is on the move as "The Masked Singer" moves into the final stages ... and it sounds like he's starting to feel the pressure heating up.

Sources tell TMZ ... Bull overheard his competitor, Skunk, rehearsing in the trailer next to his and immediately recognized her voice, and how good it is!!!

That intel seemed to spook Bull, who promptly asked producers to move trailers, so he wouldn't get psyched out before the upcoming semifinal.

We're told producers found another trailer down the lot from Skunk, so Bull could keep his head in the game.

Now, we'll see if the move pays off, or if Bull still buckles under the mounting pressure.

Nick Lachey says what we're seeing on FOX's new singing show, "Alter Ego," might be really cool onstage, but it could also be the future of entertainment ... period.

We got the 98 Degrees singer -- who's been tapped as one of the celeb judges for 'Ego' -- and asked how he's liking his role on this revolutionary competition series ... where contestants sing live, but appear as digital avatars.

It's such a unique concept, and if you listen to Nick here, you'll see the format has had an impact on him -- especially on the technology side, something he admits he doesn't fully understand ... but can appreciate nonetheless.

There's a funny comparison Nick makes between himself and his fellow judge, Grimes ... who he calls "half-robot" on a whole other level that he just hasn't reached.

Still, NL recognizes the potential for something bigger than just music ... pointing out a lot of real-life influencers already promote themselves as avatars. In other words, he's saying this is a bigger wave that will reach far beyond his show -- and FOX is just surfing it earlier.

Lindsay Lohan will not be joining the cast of the upcoming "Real Housewives of Dubai" ... even though she's already living in the country, and would provide instant star power and drama.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Lindsay is NOT part of the newly announced season, and she was never even approached about the upcoming project.

Bravo announced Monday the network is taking 'The Real Housewives' franchise to Dubai, the first season in an international location, leading to wild speculation Lindsay would be on the cast because she's already on the ground in the United Arab Emirates.

We're told the cast -- although, not announced yet -- has been selected, and LL ain't on it. Yeah, we know ... she's not actually a housewife, but many of the other "Housewives" lineups are filled with unmarried women.

The real issue, most likely, is keeping the budget low for a new spinoff ... 'cause Lindsay would certainly demand a bigger payday than an unknown.

The project will air on Bravo next year, and the network says it will highlight a group of women navigating relationships, careers and the lavish and uber-wealthy lifestyles in the UAE.

Dubai's known as a billionaire's playground with plenty of opulence, modern architecture and a crazy nightlife scene, which all seem to jibe with LiLo ... but this is one guest list she won't be on.

Bill Maher really got down to basics Friday night ... with a really interesting chit-chat about toxic masculinity ... and there's enough here for you to decide which side you're on.

Atlantic writer, Caitlin Flanagan, squared off against Delaware Senator, Chris Coons, with an assist from BM.

Caitlin railed on what she says is misdirected and dangerous wokeness ... somehow turning "heroic masculinity" into a dirty phrase. She thinks it's critical to teach boys the virtues of men who do heroic things, and she says it's important to distinguish men from women, because the former are simply stronger and better suited to save the day when physical strength is the operative factor.

Coons tries to blow up her theory with 2 examples -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Barbara Ann Mikulski, but Flanagan scoffs at that, firing back ... "I'm not going to wait for [Pelosi] to get me out of a burning building ..."

Coons doesn't exactly buy into what Flanagan is saying ... instead he talks about the virtue of respect that he has taught his twin sons. He doesn't really address Flanagan's point ... that boys should be taught the virtues of using their physical strength for good, rather than being taught to be ashamed of it.

Captain Mark Howard, a staple on the opening season of "Below Deck Mediterranean" has died ... TMZ has learned.

Howard died in Florida at some point in the last week, a family friend says his death was sudden and occurred while he was at home. We do not currently know any other circumstances surrounding his death.

Captain Howard appeared on 13 episodes of the show's first season in 2016. He was a respected figure of authority on the show, and always maintained the "customer is always right" attitude, yet was still very hands-on with all of his crew members.

According to his biography on Bravo, he grew up in Michigan, and had almost 30 years of experience on boats. Not only could he captain a boat, Mark had his pilot's license as well.

"Below Deck Mediterranean" is currently on its 6th season and still running. The yachts featured on the show range from $140,000 to $300,000 per week. Captain Sandy Yawn is now one of the faces of the show, with a growing following on social media.

Howard was 65, and leaves behind his wife, Susan.

RIP

A staple in the "Jersey Shore" franchise is officially no more ... the infamous Bamboo Bar is currently being torn down, and so are all the reality show memories that went on inside it.

Demolition crews were at the site of the infamous Seaside Heights joint early Friday tearing down walls and making way for the new condo complex to go up in its place. As you can see, the place looked pretty worn down to start with, so the tear-down isn't taking much effort.

If you don't remember, the bar served as the location to a legendary "J-Shore" brawl featuring The Situation, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, JWoww and Pauly D.

Bamboo Bar shut down a few years ago after filing for bankruptcy.

We've now learned why the 'RHONY' reunion never happened ... and it was all thanks to an ongoing third-party investigation into Eboni K. Williams' allegations of racism against Ramona Singer.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Eboni filed a formal complaint against Ramona in the weeks leading up to the 'RHONY' season 13 reunion, and as an investigation launched and moved forward, Bravo kept pushing back the shoot date.

We're told the probe was tasked with looking into an alleged comment Ramona made that Eboni felt was racially motivated.

As part of the investigation, we're told the cast and production crew sat down for interviews ... and in the end, Ramona was cleared because nothing was found to corroborate Eboni's claims. We're told once the investigation wrapped the network felt it was too late to film a reunion because too much time passed from the end of the season.

One source tells us ... "It was already a low-rated season so there were concerns about who would tune in 3 months later."

For what it's worth, we're told Eboni wasn't the only one to lodge a complaint against Ramona for race issues, a crew member did the same prior to Eboni -- but clearly, the alleged conduct had continued -- and that's why Eboni felt it was important to complain as well.

While we're told Eboni was satisfied with the thorough investigation, she seemed sour over the scrapped reunion ... telling us last week she has unfinished business and implying she's ready to come back for another season and confront the women.

The delays and ultimate cancellation cost the 'RHONY' stars money ... the housewives are paid per episode and we're told the reunion would likely have been 3 episodes, meaning stars like Ramona, Luann and Sonja lost upwards of $100,000.

Dorit Kemsley was the victim of a terrifying home invasion, after 3 men stormed her bedroom, threatened her life and fled with a ton of very expensive possessions.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star was asleep around 11 PM Wednesday when the men broke into her L.A. area home. We're told Dorit begged for her life, shouting, "Don't Kill Me!"

Our sources say Dorit gave up everything, including expensive purses and jewelry -- once the men took off, she called the police.

As for the value of the things taken, our sources say it was at least $100k.

At this time, there have not been any arrests and there are no suspects ... it's unknown if the men were captured on camera. Daily Mail was the first to publish the story.

A source close to Dorit says she and her kids are all safe. Her husband, Paul, was out of town on a business trip, but he's traveling home now. We're told "RHOBH" is currently in production, so the incident will likely play out, to some degree, on the show.

The LAPD Robbery Homicide division is now handling the investigation.

Stu Billett -- the mastermind who created "The People's Court" and birthed the whole genre of courtroom TV shows -- has died.

Stu died Friday in Los Angeles as a result of natural causes ... according to reps for 'People's Court.' He was surrounded by family when he passed.

Billett dreamed up 'TPC' back in 1981, and while it was a big TV ratings winner, it was much more than that ... as it became a pop culture phenomenon.

The show's OG judge, Joseph Wapner, became a catchphrase when Dustin Hoffman's character in "Rain Man" obsessed over 'People's Court' ... continually counting down, "15 minutes to Wapner."

The show also spawned countless satirical takes over the years on 'SNL' -- the most recent one featured Kim Kardashian playing her older sister in "The People's Kourt."

The OG 'People's Court' ran from 1981 to 1993 ... first with Wapner as the star. It was rebooted in 1997 with former NYC Mayor Ed Koch as the judge, then Judge Judy's husband, Jerry Sheindlin, took on the role and finally Judge Marilyn Milian took the bench ... and the show's still going strong.

Stu, who won 4 Daytime Emmy awards for his work as the show's executive producer, served in the military -- as a U.S. Marine -- before getting into TV as a producer's assistant on several shows.

He's being remembered by his 'TPC' family as "a kind and remarkable man who made a great impact on the lives of so many people, and he will be missed tremendously."

Stu is survived by his wife of more than 40 years and his children and grandkids.

He was 85.

James Michael Tyler -- famous for playing Gunther on "Friends" -- has died.

The actor's rep tells TMZ ... JMT passed away peacefully Sunday morning at his home in L.A. -- this after battling stage 4 prostate cancer.

His family says ... "The world knew him as Gunther (the seventh "Friend"), from the hit series "Friends," but Michael’s loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband."

They add, "Michael loved live music, cheering on his Clemson Tigers, and would often find himself in fun and unplanned adventures. If you met him once you made a friend for life."

James first revealed his cancer diagnosis earlier this year -- which stunned fans, as he'd just appeared in the reunion special and made no mention of it. He later clarified why he hadn't gone public at that time -- saying he didn't wanna be a downer for the special moment.

He was first diagnosed with cancer in 2018, and kept it private for 3 years.

James has acted in several big shows over the course of his career -- including "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," "Scrubs," "Modern Music," "Just Shoot Me!" and others ... but his biggest claim to fame is the long-running sitcom, where he played a worker at the Central Perk cafe.

He starred in 150 episodes of "Friends" over the course of its 10-year run ... and is absolutely beloved by the fan base. James is survived by his wife, Jennifer Carno.

James Michael Tyler was 59.

Lori Loughlin is back in front of the camera since getting out of prison -- doing work on a network you may have never heard of ... until now!

The former 'Full House' star and Hallmark Channel darling is acting in her first TV show since the college admission scandal ... which implicated Lori and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli - both whom eventually pleaded guilty and served time behind bars.

The dust has mostly settled on that front -- and, so, here's a first look at Lori getting back to normal with the upcoming holiday series "When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas" ... a 2-part premiere that'll be airing on the GAC Family network in December.

This series is a spinoff of Lori's old Hallmark show, "When Calls the Heart," and she's reprising her longtime role of Abigail Stanton. The difference now ... this new show is NOT on Hallmark and was picked up by GAC, which is a lot like THC in the content department.

You'll recall ... Lori got dropped by Hallmark on the heels of being charged in the college admission scandal in 2019 -- and they made it quite clear she wasn't welcome back.

With that said, it's bizarre that a Hallmark-linked show got greenlit elsewhere ... with Lori's character being brought back, and folks making the Hallmark connection. Still, it's not technically being carried on their airwaves -- maybe they think their hands are clean. 🤷🏽‍♂️

In any case ... she's not the only one getting a second chance -- Felicity Huffman, too, is going back to work. She's set to star in a comedy series on none other than ABC.

Peter Scolari, who famously co-starred alongside Tom Hanks in the sitcom "Bosom Buddies," is dead, following an extended cancer battle.

Peter's reps announced he died early Friday ... he'd been diagnosed with cancer 2 years ago, but it seems he kept that news private.

The ABC sitcom "Bosom Buddies" put Peter and Tom on the map when it came out in 1980, and they remained close friends throughout their lives. Peter went on to costar on "Newhart" and, most recently, played Lena Dunham's dad on "Girls." He won his first Emmy in 2016 for that role.

On their hit show, Hanks and Scolari played 2 single men who dressed like and pretended to be women so they could live together in an NYC apartment. Yeah, the plot doesn't exactly hold up to today's standards.

Peter also had roles in "Murphy Brown," "The West Wing," "ER," and "Ally McBeal." He also found success in several Broadway plays, including "Hairspray" and "Wicked."

He's survived by his wife and their 4 children.

Peter was 66.

Dave Chappelle's camp says no one from Netflix has approached Chapelle or his team about setting up a meeting or conversation ... which is the opposite of what the woman who organized the Netflix walkout claims.

The comedian's rep tells TMZ ... Dave would be open to dialogue if folks from Netflix actually reach out to him for a discussion.

As we reported ... Ashlee Marie Preston says she invited Dave to come to the table to talk about the damage she and others believe he's inflicted on the LGBTQ+ community, but she said, "Dave chose not to show up."

Dave's camp tells us they're unsure why Ashlee is making those claims ... they say she NEVER reached out to him. He's not against open dialogue with any group, as he points out in his Netflix special jokes.

Dave also makes this point in his special ... empathy should go both ways and we should get away from cancel culture ... so a sit down would make sense.